Spyderco Forums

I think this boils down to the fact that calling something superior suggests that something else is inferior, and that means stepping on peoples (or "favorites") toes and nobody wants to hear that their favorite is inferior to something else. Then every post gets picked apart and rebuttalled to death and a fight breaks out.

Let me just put my two cent question in. Assuming that one took the trouble to make several different kinds of locks to the same load bearing strength(assume xx pounds per inch or whatever is the measurement for these), which one would take the least amount of material to bear the load? Which of them need to be beefed up to take the same amount of load that a flimsier looking lock would take?

I think it's good the thread came up. It's helped further my understanding of locks. Any different style or type of lock, as long as it's mechanically sound, can be made as strong as it needs to be. It seems to come down to a preference question between individual users and manufacturers. Lbs. per inch of blade is a pretty definitive measure.
Things haven't spun out of control here, rather they've evolved in a good way. :) For some folks though it seems to be a hot topic, that's not me :) As long as it is well made,

dbcad wrote:I think it's good the thread came up. It's helped further my understanding of locks. Any different style or type of lock, as long as it's mechanically sound, can be made as strong as it needs to be. It seems to come down to a preference question between individual users and manufacturers. Lbs. per inch of blade is a pretty definitive measure.
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The one thing to keep in mind is that sometimes people focus on the term "strength" when they're really after something else. I agree completely with the sentiment that a good engineer will have a lot of latitude to make a lock stronger or weaker subject to structural and material limits, and the limit of his own skill. But when people ask about lock strength, I find what they're really after is a lock that won't fail on them. And the thing is, I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen a lock fail due to lack of strength. Instead, locks fail due to reliability; a perfectly good, strong lock just gives up the ghost. Sometimes that's because surfaces that need to mate perfectly wear, or don't meet with high enough tolerance, or shift position due to the frame torquing under pressure, or because the flesh of the fingers engages with a lock element when "white-knuckling" the knife, or because of an impact along an unexpected direction on the blade. None of these are strength failures, but all are far more common reasons for lock failure.

And there, in my experience, are where some real differences lie. There's one lock format that's always failed far far more than the rest, even when made by the very best makers such as Elishewitz, Terzuola, Emerson, and the very best manufacturers. Depending on how picky you are, there are substantive differences in how likely a failure might be, among lock formats -- in my opinion.

I dunno the Tri-Lock from tests looks pretty strong. I have a few with this lock type - its so solid I would bet I could hang off the handle with the blade stuck into a tree and it would hold.

Hey Joe,

Thanx for chiming in. Good to se you here.

Evil,

No problem here. Nothing out of control. Everyone seems to be petty cool. This is a pretty cool forum and we all extend our best effort to keep it enjoyable.

It was a good subject with which we all could learn something.

sal

Thanks Sal, always fun to come back. Some kinds of threads I can't resist, I'm a sucker for a lock thread!

I agree that Evil D didn't do anything intentionally to stir the pot, it's just a very delicate subject. You can sit down at Thanksgiving dinner with the eloquence of a Harvard Philosophy professor and bring up religion or politics and the sweetest people will be foaming at the mouth in minutes.

Still, good information has been presented and in a relatively non-offensive maner. Bring this same topic up on ANY other forum and obscenities and dogma would be flowing like the Amazon River.

Armalite Native wrote:I dunno the Tri-Lock from tests looks pretty strong. I have a few with this lock type - its so solid I would bet I could hang off the handle with the blade stuck into a tree and it would hold.

While I dropped out of physics class I do know that depending on how a knife is stuck in a tree (for example) and where it's being held will dramatically reduce the torque on the pivot.

There is a good chance you could do this with a standard Delica too. It's a dumb test and pointless regarding how anyone would ever use a knife but still. The difference in that case a Delica would only weigh 2.5 or so ounces in your pocket which is a statistic more observable than lock strength.

The point where robots learn the FMA's and do extensive reverse-edge/trapping knife fighting the lock war will actually make sense.